The mother of an 8-month-old boy who was seriously burned in a fire Wednesday night has been charged with child abuse, police say.

Alisha Twitty, 23, has been charged with aggravated child abuse and child neglect after her son suffered second-degree burns to his head, arm and legs, said Chattanooga police spokeswoman Sgt. Jerri Weary.

At the time of the fire, Twitty was not present in the home, which is located in the Missionary Heights Apartments.

The boy has since been transferred to the Joseph M. Still Burn Center in Augusta, Ga., for treatment.

Twitty was heating up a pan of grease on the stove to cook some fries, then left her apartment to make a phone call at a neighbor's apartment, police said.